Friday

Chankaya Niti-- Some Quotes



About Chankaya---
Chanakya (Kautilya) was the minister of Chandragupta c. 321-c.297 BC Maurya who was the first emperor of the Mauryan empire. Chandragupta came to rule much of India. Chandragupta rose to power under the influence of Chanakya.
Much of our knowledge about state policy under the Mauryas comes from the Arthashastra written by Chanakya.The book, written in Sanskrit, discusses theories and principles of governing a state.
Arthashastra remains unique in all of Indian literature because of its total absence of specious reasoning, or its unabashed advocacy of realpolitik, and scholars continued to study it for its clear cut arguments and formal prose till the twelfth century.

Some quotes from Arthashastra:

"The biggest guru-mantra is:Never share your secrets with anybody.
It will destroy you."

"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it."

"Education is the best friend.
An educated person is respected everywhere.
Education beats the beauty and the youth."

“A man is great by deeds, not by birth.”

“Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness.”

“A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and Honest people are screwed first.”

“Once you start a working on something, don’t be afraid of failure and don’t abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.”

"God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple."

"It is better to be without a kingdom than to rule over a petty one; better to be without a friend than to befriend a rascal; better to be without a disciple than to have a stupid one; and better to be without a wife than to have a bad one."

"Do not inhabit a country where you are not respected, cannot earn your livelihood, have no friends, or cannot acquire knowledge."

"Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune."

"Even from poison extract nectar, wash and take back gold if it has fallen in filth, receive the highest knowledge (Krsna consciousness) from a low born person; so also a girl possessing virtuous qualities (stri-ratna) even if she were born in a disreputable family"

"Though men be endowed with beauty and youth and born in noble families, yet without education they are like the palasa flower, which is void of sweet fragrance"

"A stillborn son is superior to a foolish son endowed with a long life. The first causes grief for but a moment while the latter like a blazing fire consumes his parents in grief for life."

"Consider again and again the following: the right time, the right friends, the right place, the right means of income, the right ways of spending, and from whom you derive your power."

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